Ruling: Victims can’t refuse pretrial talk with prosecution

PHOENIX (AP) — An appellate court decision says Arizona’s state constitutional protections for crime victims don’t prevent prosecutors from conducting pretrial interviews of victims who object. The Court of Appeals’ ruling Tuesday said the Victim’s Bill of Rights allows victims to refuse pretrial interviews with defendants or defense lawyers. But the court said that right does not extend to depositions with prosecutors. The court ruled in a case involving a woman who is awaiting trial on a charge of luring a minor for sexual exploitation after allegedly sending a “suggestive photo” to a boy who was 14 years old at the time.